Friday, November 16, 2007 City to focus on child laborers in commercial agri By Grace L. Plata
THE 18th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child will be celebrated in Davao City on November 24, focusing in helping child laborers in commercial agriculture.
According to University of the Philippines-Diliman Professor Alejandro Apit, national coordinator of the National Coalition Against Child Labor and executive director of the Kamalayan Development Foundation, there is a large number of children in Region 11 who are working in big plantations.
"Sa sugarcane plantations mostly. There is one in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur where we have an existing program to help the children there, and we are also trying to put up one in Hagonoy," Apit said in Thursday's edition of the I-Speak forum at City Hall.
Next to sugarcane plantations, Apit said that child laborers could also be found in mango and durian orchards.
He said an increased awareness on child labor will help in eradicating it.
"CRC is already 18 years old, hindi na bata kaya dapat mas malawak na ang kamalayan at kakayahan natin labanan ito," Apit said.
Councilor Peter Laviña, who was also present during Thursday's forum, said however it is important to first identify the difference between child work and child labor in order to effectively combat the latter.
"Child work is done with parental supervision, does not take the child away from school or from play, and it has no monetary compensation involved. These are household chores that children can do as a functioning member of a family. Child labor, in contrast, has an exploitative element and monetary compensation involved aside from depriving the child of the right to education or play," Laviña said.
Apit, on the other hand, does not believe that the number of child laborers has increased.
"Tingin ko hindi naman dumadami. Increased lang ang awareness kasi the violations are stipulated clearly at marami na rin ang nagre-report kung mga nakikitang kaso. Back in 1989 kasi, walang ganung klaseng kamalayan kahit na ang gobyerno. It was only when the CRC was formed in 1990 that cases were starting to get documented through the barangay council for the protection of children," Apit explained.
As part of combating child labor, Apit's group has taken on a children's awareness development program wherein they train children to be peer teachers. This is aimed at developing child-friendly communities where children are active participants in decision-making and governance.
"Children are the best teachers for children that is namimili kami ng mga bata na may kakayahan magsalita at maging epektibo sa pagturo sa kapwa bata," Apit said.
Twelve-year-old Jizel Padua, one of the peer teachers, said she shares with fellow children her knowledge on the rights of a child.
"Tinuturuan ko rin po sila kung ano yung 6 worst forms of child labor. Kasali po doon ang trabaho sa quarry, mina at deep sea fishing," Padua said.
On the other hand, Apit said there is still a need for continued massive awareness campaign to eradicate child labor.
"People need to know that for a child to grow as a good citizen, society must ensure his or her survival, protection, development, and participation," Apit said.
